The straps of the heavy rucksack dug into Jax's shoulders. He'd been walking for six hours, and his legs felt like lead. He wasn't a hero. He wasn't a mage. He was just an F-rank porter, the lowest of the low.
"Move it, trash! We aren't paying you to stand around and sweat," Barrett shouted.
Barrett was the leader of the Golden Lion guild. He wore glowing silver armor and carried a sword that cost more than Jax would earn in ten lifetimes. He didn't look back as he kicked a loose rock toward Jax's head.
Jax ducked, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "I'm moving, sir. It's just... the weight is shifting."
"Then hold it tighter," a woman named Elena laughed. She was the team's healer. She looked at Jax like he was a bug she wanted to squash. "I don't know why we even bring these F-rankers. They're slow and they smell."
"They're cheap," Barrett said with a smirk. "And if things go wrong, they're easy to replace."
Jax kept his head down. He didn't say a word. He couldn't afford to get fired. His sister, Mia, was in a hospital bed back in the city. Her mana-fever was getting worse. Every month, the bill got higher. If he lost this job, she'd be out on the street in a week.
They reached the center of the dungeon. It was a massive cave filled with thick, white webs. The air smelled like rotting meat.
"Something's wrong," Jax whispered. He'd been in a lot of dungeons, and his gut was screaming at him. "The map said this was a D-rank zone. But these webs... they're too thick."
"Shut up, Jax," Barrett snapped. "I'm an A-rank hunter. I don't need advice from a guy who carries my spare boots."
Suddenly, the ground shook. From the ceiling, a massive shape dropped down. It was a spider, but it was the size of a school bus. Its eyes glowed with a sick purple light.
"S-rank!" Elena screamed, her face turning pale. "That's a Shadow Queen! We have to go!"
"Run!" Barrett yelled. He didn't even try to fight. He turned and bolted toward the narrow tunnel they'd just come through.
Jax tried to follow, but the rucksack was too heavy. He fumbled with the buckles, trying to drop the weight. "Wait for me! Help!"
The spider hissed and lunged. A glob of green acid hit the ground inches from Jax's feet, melting the stone.
Barrett reached the tunnel exit first. He looked back and saw Jax struggling. He also saw the spider closing in. If the spider reached the tunnel, it would kill them all.
"Sorry, kid," Barrett said. There wasn't any pity in his eyes.
"What are you doing?" Jax yelled.
Barrett grabbed Jax by the collar of his shirt. With a grunt of strength, he swung Jax through the air. He threw him straight into the spider's massive, hairy legs.
Jax hit the ground hard. His vision went blurry. He heard the heavy thud of a stone door slamming shut. Barrett had activated the emergency seal. They'd locked him inside.
"You cowards!" Jax screamed, but his voice was drowned out by the spider's screech.
The monster lunged. Jax scrambled backward, crawling into a tiny crevice in the rock wall. He was too small for the spider's legs to reach him, but he was trapped. His left leg was broken, and he was bleeding fast.
"I'm going to die," he whispered. "Mia... I'm sorry."
He looked around the tiny crack in the wall. There was a strange, glowing red fruit growing out of the moss. He was lightheaded from blood loss and starving. Without thinking, he grabbed the fruit and shoved it into his mouth. It tasted like copper and fire.
As soon as he swallowed, his heart felt like it was going to explode.
[Notice: Poisonous 'Blood Core Fruit' consumed.]
[Host is dying...]
[Conditions met for secret evolution.]
[System 'Infinite Devourer' is now online.]
Jax stared at the floating blue screen. "What... what is this?"
[Level: 0]
[Status: Near Death]
[Skill unlocked: Devour (Rank Unknown)]
[The system won't let you die yet, Jax. Do you want to live?]
Jax grit his teeth. He thought of Barrett's smug face. He thought of his sister's pale skin. "Yes," he hissed. "I want to live. I want to kill them all."
[Target identified: Shadow Queen Spider.]
[Mission: Eat or be eaten.]
Jax looked at a sharp, jagged rock near his hand. He gripped it until his knuckles turned white. He wasn't the guy who carried the bags anymore.
"I'm coming for you, Barrett," Jax whispered.
The spider jammed its face into the crack, its many eyes fixing on him. Jax didn't scream this time. He just waited for it to get closer.